Vocab #1
All the living and nonliving things in an area
to use any of the five senses to gather information about something
observe
What is an observation?
something you notice using any of the five senses
Thinking back to the town of Ashfall, Nebraska, and the discovery of the fossil beds, what type of fossil was first discovered by the farmer?
*Hint: It was a skull of a baby animal that is not native to America and typically found on the continent of Africa.
Baby Rhinoceros Skull
The study of the Earth, specifically its rocks, minerals, and landscapes
Geology
something scientists make to answer questions about the real world
model
What is an organism?
a living thing, such as a plant or an animal
What does it mean for rock to "cement" over time?
to stick together in the process of forming rock
What other types of fossils were discovered in the Ashfall Fossil Beds as scientists started digging?
Horses, Camels, Turtles, & Birds
A scientist who studies the processes and materials that form the solid part of Earth
Geologist
a clue about life from the past that is preserved in rock
fossil
to figure something out based on observations and what you already know
In science, a proposed answer to a question is called a
claim
A scientist who studies the history of life on Earth through fossilized remains, including bones, teeth, shells, and plants
Paleontologist
An opening in the Earth's crust that allows molten rock (magma), gases, and ash to escape to the surface
Hint: We learned about two main types of this structure; cone & shield
Volcano
a thick sheet of rock formed from the same material
rock layer
small pieces of rock, such as silt or sand
sediment
Information that supports your claim, or answer to a question, is called
evidence
How did the organisms at the Ashfall Fossil Beds die?
Suffocated from ash from a volcano
The process of breaking down rocks into small pieces is called _________.
Examples:
-root wedging, ice wedging, a rock boulder tumbling down a mountain, rocks crashing into the shore at the beach
Weathering
What does it mean to "compact?"
to press together
a type of rock formed from sediment that compacts and cements over time
sedimentary rock
What is an "argument" in science?
the use of evidence to say why one idea is the best
What type of material were the animals at the Ashfall fossil beds preserved in?
Ash
___________ is the natural process of wearing away soil, rock, or land surfaces and transporting these materials to new locations.
Erosion